Eighth grader Graham Thomson won’t allow his disability to interfere with his love for sports. He proved this to thousands of people when he played goalie during a break in the Kraken vs Panthers game back in December 2022.

Thomson’s love for sled hockey started when he was at eighth grader Charlie Constable’s birthday party last year, it was hockey themed. Thomson was all in for the fun and got out on the rink in a chair, with Constable’s dad pushing him around. From that moment Thomson had fallen in love with hockey and he knew nothing would stop him from playing it.

“I think it’s really cool because with a lot of regular sports, there isn’t a lot of opportunity for disabled people to do anything and I just think that it’s pretty cool that I’m one of the people who helped him to get where he is now,” Constable said. 

Thomson acknowledges what sled hockey can do for certain individuals, such as veterans coming back from war with injuries. “I admire that it gives disabled people who have been written off something that they can do and get really good at,” Thomson said.

But Thomson’s sled hockey work got to the next level when he played goalie during the break between the first and second period of a Kraken game last year. The professional Krakens players took six shots on him, Thomson saved five.

Seventh grader Brooks Vernon was at the game. During the interview he described the atmosphere in the stadium. “He went out onto the ice and everybody started cheering for him,” Vernon said.

He also talked about how the players had lots of love for him. “After he was done he went off the ice and he did fist bumps with the other players,” Vernon said.

Graham doesn’t plan on stopping anytime soon. “I see a legitimate future where we [the Kraken’s Affiliate]put a junior team together. And that just seems like such an awesome experience to be a part of.”

The last piece of advice Graham wanted to give to young people hesitant to pursue their dreams was “I know it sounds cheesy, but just like Nike says, just do it.”